Hello friends, family, and everyone else who might happen to read this!

This week had enough content for at least a month, if not more! 

As I said in my last email, Sunday was Baccalaureate.  Everything went smoothly, we got lots of pictures of the graduating seniors, including our friend David La Rosa.

Monday was the Kindergarten graduation.  I have some very cute pictures (and a video clip) that I will try to post on our blog eventually.  The pictures are already on facebook, for those of you who want to look there.

Tuesday was our last pizza party for this school year.  We had 19 people present, 8 pizzas and 3 bottles of pop were consumed, and a general air of chaos prevailed.  Again, there are plenty of pictures on facebook.  It was to be our last pizza night with several of our friends.  The Flemmings are moving to Thailand to minister with Wycliffe Bible Translators next.  Cherie DeRieux is moving back to Texas to continue her degree in Physical Education.  Joey Swenson is moving to Colorado to attend Bible college.  We hope to see both Cherie and Joey back in Ecuador eventually.  Cherie has promised to come back for Rick’s birthday in October.  We will miss them all greatly!  We hope to see everyone else back at the end of the summer!

On Thursday evening Rick attended the wedding rehearsal for our friends, Bethany and Santiago.  Many of Santi’s family members are not believers, and it was the couple’s wish that in addition to the rehearsal, there be an hour or so of worship music, and a short talk from our pastor.  Rick got the chance to sing with a group of musicians and vocalists that he really enjoys.  It was also a chance for him to practice the song he would sing at the wedding, which made Leslie Foster (who was singing with him) quite happy.  Their practice went off without a hitch, but the wedding rehearsal itself, as per latin custom, didn’t start until at least an hour late.  I was not in the wedding (just a guest), so I didn’t have to attend.  Rick was not required to remain for the actual wedding rehearsal, so he happily came home after his song rehearsal and the worship set was done.

Friday night was graduation.  I know that attending graduations is rarely a ‘fun’ thing…  The ceremonies are long.  The chairs in the gym are not super comfortable.  I don’t know half the people there.  Etc. At the same time, it is exciting and amazing to watch each of these students as they complete their high school careers and step out into the next stage of their lives.  Some will go to the United States, some to Canada, some to Europe, and some to Asia.  Please keep them all in your prayers, as they leave the protective environment of Alliance Academy International, and step out into a bigger world.  Please pray that their faith would continue to be strong, that they would maintain their focus on the Lord, and that they would continue to find their identity in Him.

Saturday we attended the aforementioned wedding of Bethany and Santiago.  We went to the school at 10 am to meet up with others who would be attending (musicians, vocalists, and a few of us who were just tagging along for the ride).  We found out, shortly into the ride, that there was construction on the road and the traffic was backed up for miles.  Since this meant that all those attending would also be late, there wasn’t much else that we could do but wait.  Rick called the groom and tried to get him to start the wedding anyway (since the bride, groom, and preacher were already there), but they opted to wait for all of the rest of us.  Instead of starting at 12pm, we started at 1:30pm.  The sun came out of the clouds right before the wedding started, and the bride walked down a beautiful path of rose petals to stand under an archway of flowers.  The whole event was beautiful, and it is always awe inspiring to see a young couple dedicate their lives, their relationship, and their marriage to the Lord. 
The reception was held in a tent on the lawn of the same hacienda.  The food was amazing.  The dance floor was always full (lots of salsa and merengue music!).  The company was great.  Suffice to say, fun was had by all!

Sunday found us helping our friend, Leslie Foster, move into her new apartment (the apartment that is being vacated by the Flemmings).  This means that she will live closer to us, have her own space (no roommates), and more able to attend our pizza nights (if she wants to).  :)  She is very organized, so the move went off without a hitch.  Many people pitched in and the whole thing only took a few hours (including lunch from Papa John’s who, with my help, now know that her name is ‘Leslie Foster’ and not ‘Gringa Gringa’).

Today, Monday, found us back at the school for the final ‘closing up shop’.  My TA (teacher’s assistant), a junior at Alliance Academy, came in for an hour or two just to spend time with me.  She has been such a blessing, and I am looking forward to having her as a TA next year too.  I can’t say that we get a lot of work done, but we do a lot of crafts, which I usually turn around and do with some of the other students in a therapeutic way.  Somehow, it is a good thing.
My office is now officially closed for the summer.  Everything is covered in plastic tarps, the cabinets are locked, and the coffee pot has been put away.  It is rather lonely looking, but encouraging that I can actually get all my ‘junk’ to fit in the cabinets somehow!  Rick will continue to go in for a few hours a day over the next few days.  They yearbook still has some work to be done, so he will wrap it all up and take what he needs to with him to the States to work on over the summer break.

I hope to continue the Monday Memo over the next five weeks when we are in the States.  I hope that you will all enjoy reading about the people and places we will see while we are there, as well as knowing how to pray for us when we travel.  We will fly out of Quito this coming Friday (the 19th) at 6:30am.  Please keep us in your prayers as we travel (all the usual things… no lost luggage, no flight delays, etc.).

We love you all and look forward to seeing you soon!
Blessings,
Rachel Sams

Dear friends and family,

The time continues to pass quickly, and we are counting down the days until school is through for the year and we are headed back to visit you all.  As always, there is much to do.  Rick’s hands are full with creating brochures, posters, announcements, etc. as well as teaching his classes.  I have been busy wrapping up paperwork and helping students manage the stress of finals.  We are truly looking forward to a few weeks of vacation, spent with people that we love.

Our friends, the La Rosa family (Dad - Sergio, Mom - Susan, Daughter - Jessica, and Son - David) arrived from Peru on Tuesday.  David was a student at AAI last year, has completed his senior year via correspondence, and will walk with the seniors at graduation here.  Rick was David’s tutor last year, which spawned a good friendship between two musicians and artists.  It has been wonderful to have them staying with us, and we hope to visit them in Trujillo, Peru some day in the near future.

Saturday was Baccalaureate at Alliance Academy.  There was a brief ceremony in which each of the graduates told what brought their family to Ecuador and what they were planning to do after graduation.  It was surprising to me how many of them will go to Europe, as well as to North America or South America.  Many will study international business or foreign affairs.
After the ceremony there was a time to take pictures with the graduates in their caps and gowns.  Then we moved into the gym for the baccalaureate ceremony.  There were speeches, some music, and lots of cameras.  Please feel free to check out website (www.rnrsams.com) or facebooks for pictures.

Over the last week, Rick has been having a lot of pain in his right foot.  His big toe is swollen and very painful.  After talking with the school nurse, several friends, the pharmacist, and research online…  the unofficial diagnosis is that he has gout.  There isn’t much for him to ammend in his diet, so we are hopeful that the medicine sold her for ‘la gota’ will do the trick.  He has been taking it for about two days, and says he already feels a great deal of relief.  All we can do at this point is try to avoid any future flare ups.

I was blessed to attend the kindergartener’s graduation ceremony today.  They sang two songs (”I’m bringing home a baby bumble bee”, and “I’m in the Lord’s army”), received their diplomas/certificates, and said their A,B,C’s.  It was so cute to see them and their parents.  They were so proud!  I knew several of the kids due to adjustment issues in pre-kinder, so it was especially nostalgic to see them doing so well, and preparing to move on into first grade.

Please keep us, and other staff at the school in your prayers over the next week.  We are all tired, stressed, and ready to be done for the year.  Please pray that we will be humble and patient with one another for just a few more days.

We head out for the States on June 19th!  Just a few more days!

Blessings,
Rachel Sams

‘Hello’ to all of you!

For no truly good reason, I have dawdled a day and the Monday memo is arriving to you on Tuesday.  Senior-itis?  Perchance! 

As always, the week has been full and has had many enjoyable moments.  I look back each week on the calendar, and am surprised at the many events we pack into a mere seven days.  Between ministry, work, and just-plain-fun… we stay pretty busy.

This last Wednesday, the counseling department (organized by our very own Mari Hernandez-Tuten) hosted a Mother/Daughter Event at the school).  There was a ‘Funky Fashion Show’ in which each contestant was required to create and/or decorate their fashion outfits with crepe paper, newspaper, and other recycled materials.  One contestant even had a purse crocheted from plastic, grocery store bags!  There were manicure/pedicure stations set up, thanks to one of our teachers who also runs a salon near by.  Each mother and daughter were able to sign up for manicures or pedicures for only $5 a piece.  We also had a few booths selling snacks, jewelry, and children’s clothing.  Over all, it was great fun.  One mother told Mari, “I wasn’t able to stay long enough for a manicure, but it was so fun to get to know and spend time with other women from the school!”.

Thursday we had a bridal shower for Bethany Meekins, a friend and teacher.  She and her fiance, Santiago, will be married in two weeks. Rick, along with our friend Leslie, will sing at their wedding.  The bridal shower, of course, was only for girls.  We played many traditional bridal shower games, ate cake, and drank punch.  It is fun to see how different teachers can act when they aren’t corralling a large group of children from one subject to another!

On Friday I celebrated an early birthday, along with my friend Amanda (who also had a birthday this month).  A group of the girls took us out for dinner, and then we returned to Mari’s new apartment (can you tell that she is our girl’s events planner?), since she now has a heated, in-door pool.  Leslie made both cake and cake-balls (which I have never eaten before Quito, but am quite fond of!).  It was a great girl’s night!

Also on Friday night, our friends Josh and Josh Greer had to rush their two-month old daughter, Isabella, to the Emergency Room.  She was not breathing or moving.  Joy administered CPR all the way to the hospital, where they suctioned out Isabella’s lungs and hooked her up to several IVs.  The doctors think she must have aspirated some mucous, due to a cold, but they are not sure.  She is now home and doing well, but the doctors are recommending a battery of tests over the next week or so, just to make sure that everything is OK.  We praise God that Josh and Joy are such attentive parents, and that they heard Isabella coughing when they did.  Please continue to pray for them over the next few weeks, as they make sure that Isabella continues to stay healthy.

Saturday morning found us back at the school, and then on to Calacali with the Opción de Vida boys, for a day out of the city.  There were eight boys from Opción de Vida, Pastor Marcelo (who runs the ministry) and his wife and son, about 10 students from Alliance Academy, and about 6 adults from Alliance Academy.  The day started with different games to help us remember names, then some relay races outside.  Of course, there was time set aside for soccer and volleyball (Ecua-volley… which has it’s own set of rules).  Lois Wells baked a turkey (at the request of the Opción boys), which we served with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Tommy Bowen led a devotional, and several of the Alliance students led worship.  It has been wonderful for me to see the growth in the Opción de Vida boys over the last few months.  Since the ministry is now able to provide beds for them to sleep in (up to eight boys), they have been given a level/point system to earn the right to sleep at the ministry (instead of on the streets).  As they work their way up the levels, they show an increasing amount of respect for each other and for others, as well as an increased ability to tolerate frustration.  This is huge for boys who have been living on the street and have had no rules to follow other that to survive.

Saturday night was the Junior/Senior Banquet, which is Alliance Academy’s version of prom.  Rick, being the school photographer, attended and took all of the couple’s pictures.  The event took place at a beautiful hacienda, outdoors, with party tents and soft lighting.  Several groups of students gave musical performances and a few teachers spoke.  There was a video presentation of the seniors, coordinated by the junior class.  As the dinner portion of the evening wound down, Rick decided to head home.  Shortly after he left, I was told, the dance floor opened up.  Men dressed as court jesters handed out crazy hats, headbands with springy antennas, etc. and a conga line ensued.  The party continued until about midnight, at which point most of the adults went home, and the students headed off to different houses where the parties continued until dawn.  Needless to say, most of them were not in church on Sunday.

Sunday was my birthday!  Thanks to all of you who sent birthday greetings via email, facebook, or phone.  It was a wonderful day, with a good sermon on Sunday morning, lunch at a local chifa (Chinese) restaurant, and then dinner at a local Irish pub called Finn McCool’s.  Their shepherd’s pie is wonderful, as is the Irish stew and the fish ‘n chips.  Many of our friends joined us (I think there were 10 or 12 total), including our pastor, Len Kinzel and his wife Beth.  Len and Beth pointed out their glee that the current school counselor has tattoos, which was once one of reasons why students were sent to counseling in the first place.